On March 7, 2024 the Women’s Professional Network was proud to welcome Dr. June DePonte Sernak as our Story of Success speaker. A life-long New Jersey resident, Dr. Sernak has worked in the corporate world, for non-profits, in the education sector, and in State Government. Dr. Sernak is proud of her Italian, African American, and Native American heritage, and these identities have shaped her personal and professional experiences.
A major influence in Dr. Sernak’s life is her maternal grandmother who she said made her who she is. Dr. Sernak learned from her grandmother to have grace and retain control, plus know when to speak out and learn how to say no.
Through her long corporate career, Dr. Sernak says she saw the workplace evolve from a place where women had to blend and fit in, to places where women worked together to have difficult conversations in order to make changes to the environment that would help and benefit women.
Over time, she also learned to be strategic in understanding her life goals: what is important is to choose opportunities that reflect who you want to be. Dr. Senak had some specific words of wisdom for women looking to build a career that reflects their goals:
Sometimes, you will be placed in positions that don’t work for you, so it’s important to have back up plans.
Stay on your guard
Raise your hand and speak up to create opportunities to move in a positive direction for your goals.
You can have it all, but not all at once.
Don’t compare yourself to others. Instead embrace your own half full glass and live in the moment.
Self care and prioritizing your physical and mental health is important. Without mental and physical health you can’t work towards your goals.
Dr. Sernak, as an expert in DEI and someone who has worked in the non-profit sector serving a diverse population, also spoke on issues of equity, access, inclusion and women’s contribution to history. She spoke of the Native American concept of seven generations, where a person’s actions affect the next seven generations. Dr. Sernak reflected on the contribution of women, known and unknown, in the past seven generations that contributed to social and political gender equity. She believes that modern women should tell past women’s stories, as this will help modern women reflect on their own strengths.
Finally, Dr. Sernak recommends the following two books:
The Racial Healing Handbook by Dr. Anneliese A. Singh
Leading with Cultural Intelligence by Dr. David Livermore.
To learn more of Dr. Sernak’s thoughts and perspectives, please see the event recording below:
Opmerkingen